Organise a Summer school

Category of recipes: Internationalisation through national and international students, Internationalisation through partnerships, Internationalisation through pedagogical activities and development of international skills.

Objective: Foster students’ development of international skills through pedagogical activities and joint projects.

Short description:
A Summer school is a training programme exposing students over a short period (between 1 and 4 weeks) to the internationalisation of education in terms of learning, culture and/or language. Summer school takes place abroad (partner university) or at your home university. Please note that the term “summer” is generic to this type of programme and does not restrict the organisation of these events to the summer period. Summer schools should be, whenever it is possible, integrated into a module or be a module of the programme's training plan and lead to ECTS credits. They differ from a study trip in that they include teaching activities with students from partner universities.
Generally, once the summer school concept has been defined by the partner universities, the summer school is organised in turn by one university. For example, a summer school is being developed by a Swiss university and a French university in the field of engineering. The first edition will take place in Switzerland, so the French students will travel to Switzerland while the second edition will take place in France, so the Swiss students will travel to France.
The key element in a summer school is to bring together students from different partner universities studying in the same field of study. These students will work together for a few days, producing content that will then be assessed by the teachers, who take part in the summer school as well.

Academic recognition: ECTS.

Level of difficulty: Medium.

Calendar and time needed: If it’s a first-time organisation, initial contact with the partner organisation should be made a year in advance.

Cost summary: €€.

Language and level required: Language level required to follow the course, depending on the pedagogical contents.

Roles and Responsibilities:
Hosting university: The one that organises the summer school.
Partner university: The one that sends students and teachers (eventually).
Project manager: Usually a professor who takes the lead of the organisation.
Admin support: Could be the international office of your university.
Professors: From both hosting and sending universities who teach in the summer school.
Students IN and OUT: Usually a whole classroom traveling together.
Advisor in internationalisation: (If available in your university) can help with the design of the summer school.

Ingredients:
At least 2 Universities from 2 different countries taking part in the Summer school.
If possible, the summer school is identified in the university's basic training programme (Bachelor's/Master's), or in the framework study plan.
Normally, ECTS credits awarded must range from 2 to 6 credits.
Ideally, the duration of the summer school is between one week (min. 5 teaching days) and four weeks.
Learning content.
Students from the Hosting University and the Sending University, who study the same field of study.
Optional ingredient: Memorandum of Agreement.

Steps:
Step 1: Identify the need of a Summer school in your field of study.
Step 2: Look for a partner university who could be interested in developing a Summer school in a specific field of study.
Step 3: Develop the concept of your Summer school together with the partner university (usually two professors get in touch to develop the concept).
Step 4: If possible, ensure that the Summer school is part of the learning content of the study plan.
Step 5: Define the learning objectives with the partner university.
Step 6: Develop the teaching material in collaboration with the partner university.
Step 7: Set the dates.
Step 8: Set the evaluation method(s).
Step 9: Apply for a possible grant at your university (Erasmus or else).
Step 10: Organise the logistic aspects of your summer school, if necessary, with the help of your international relations office.
Step 11: Hold the summer school.
Step 12: Evaluate the Summer school and award ECTS credits.

N. B: Usually, a Summer school is organised in turn, so it means that the sending institution becomes the hosting institution for the 2nd edition.

Budget description:

• Internal grants within the University.
• Erasmus+ funds.

Contact your International Relations Office for more information.